The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-01-28

An inquiry was suggested in late
Tnumi,es OF the .CoEairg Gentleman for
"A rcaping machine fitted for cutting
Ioorn sown for fodder, to obriate the
|sloE work Of reaping by hand. Since
the appearance OF that inquiry, we ac
Icepted an inviiation from D. NJ. Dunn
ling oil auburn. 10 examine his corn
lcrop, cut and bound with self binder,
tald u witness its operation He showed
us ten-acre field which had been all
neatly cut and b ndsomely bounl with
icord. the only hand labor being that
Iplaeing the sheaves in shocks The corn
hsd Deen sown with aisnt-driil, at the
rate Of a bu ,hel and a hiif of seed TO the
Iacrr. all the tubes running, the soil
Icing rich and clean, without weeds,
The surfa remaining smooth and level
The Growth OF the stalks, which was too
thick foT cars 70 form, was about five
feet high. 20 cultivation had been
given. When the growth was moderate,
the cutter bar, which wa six feet long,
took about foar feet in breadth, but on
the heavier portions OF the crop it cut
only two OF three feet Two horses drew
the machine. On witnessing the opera
tion in an adjacent field, there appeared
to be no difficulty whatever IN its work
inc. The irving wheels were Of the
usrsl width, ard where the ground was
soft sunk an inch or more into the soil;
and with the view Of having machine
which viii serve both for corn and
wheat. Il may be we'll to increase slightly
the width oi the wheels, as corn ground,
| from later cultivation. Is commonly more
mellow than settled wheat land The
sheaves, regulated in size by self operat-
ing machinery. were quite uniformly
shout eleven inches in diameter, and
veg ed Eileen or twenty pounds A trial
WAS made on a heavier crop, averaging
about SIX feet high and partly Frustrated
IN some places by a storm. The reaper
went through these portions without
difficulty " ben the swa;h was necessarily
little narrower than with smaller up
right corn
A trial was made at our request on
common corn planted in hills and well
loaded with ears, taking one row at a
tine Tie only difficulty IN this work
Was in the large Sic OF the ears, which
tended TO CLOAK the throat of the eleTat-
i llZ MANILIlLNEILa Z AtlN obvious LulF
this di.iiceliy could be removed BY max
ing this passa e adjustable and adapted
to the sifc Of the ears. Where these were
not large the cutting aad binding were
well performed.
To those vino have emploEed sickles
and haad-eut;ing. the great advantage
Of employing a seli-hinding reaper as a
saver q labor must be obvious, especially
for Cling siios- Cutting corn in this
way, raisod in hills with Fat culture.
where small and early ripening sorts are
/ planted for removal at the beginning Of
autumn, would lessen the objection to
sowing winter wheat after corn. The
dificuliy Of clearing tie corn of out Of
the way in time for the wheat crop has
been leading objection to this course,
which Otherwise would often prove ad-
sastagcons. Or late IN autumn a crop OF
rye night follow the corn for early spring
FEEDING, or for ploughing under in May
for green nnanurr- Con- land which has
been well man1fed before planting. if
thoroughly cultivated and mellowed,
would not be bad preparation for SOW
ing winter grain, II the earlier and smaller
kinds have been planted. Il is hardly
Necessary 70 ailudc to the advantage Of
being able 70 cut up 4 crop Of corn rap
5d.y before a threatened frost. Cogs'ry
Gdflmaa.